PENETRON technology resurrects historical train station

ELYRIA, Ohio – Originally constructed in 1926 as the New York Central Train Station in Elyria, Ohio, the building served as a hub for travelers from New York, Chicago, or California stopping in Northern Ohio. The recent grand opening of the Lorain County Transportation Center showed off the building in its original splendor. It now serves as a mass transportation hub for Lorain County. 

The extensive renovation included exterior renovations, new roofing and façade repairs in an initial project phase.  The second phase addressed the building interior, which included waterproofing the foundation and restoring the beautiful octagonal rotunda and interior walls. The final phases added park and ride capabilities and restoration of the original platforms for the passenger railways.

Stopping large and leaky cracks
Penetron worked with Schirmer Construction to waterproof the over 80-year old concrete foundation. The foundation suffered from water leakage in many locations, including several full height cracks  that left large areas of the basement floor continually flooded.

“The unique PENETRON crystalline waterproofing solution helped Schirmer Construction to completely waterproof the foundation from the negative side,” explains Christopher Chen, Director of The PENETRON Group. “PENETRON technology develops crystals in the pores and capillaries of the concrete matrix, which significantly lowers concrete permeability in the foundation.”

The system works
The PENETRON system helped completely seal the leaking wall cracks with a combination of PENECRETE MORTAR, PENEPLUG and PENETRON. This waterproofing solution saved Lorain County tens of thousands of dollars in excavation and site work costs that conventional exterior repair would require. The PENETRON treatment also allowed the waterproofing work to be performed under the active railroad tracks, where an exterior waterproofing approach was possible.

“The revitalized transportation facility now houses a bus terminal, park and ride facilities, a railroad / transportation museum, passenger areas and a passenger rail platform,” adds Chen. “PENETRON is proud to help bring the transportation hub of Elyria, Ohio, back to its former grandeur.”